Friction-clutch.



J.. W.- DBARBORN. FRICTION CLUTCH. ArPLIouIoH FILED JUNE 27. 1910.

y Patented Jan. 10,1911.

3 BHEBITS-SIIEBT 1.

J. W. DEARBORN. FRIGTION CLUTCH. APPLIUATIGH FILED .TUNE 27. 1910.

981,389. Patented Jan. 10,1911.

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J. W, DBARBORN. FRIGTION CLUTCH. iAPPLIOATION FILED JUNEfZ'I. '1910.

981 ,.'8 9. Patented Jan. 1o, 1911.

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' JOHN' W. DEARBOEN, or ANsoNrA, CONNECTICUT.

rRiC'TIoN-CLUTC.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 10, 1911.

Application led .Tune 27, 1910. Serial No. 569,039.

To allwhom 'it may concern:

lBe it known that I, JOHN W. DEARBORN, aA citizen of the United States,residingl at Ansonia, in the county of New Haven andy State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Friction- 7Clutches; and I do hereby declarethe'following, when taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings and the lettersA of reference markedthereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,andwhich said drawings constitute4 part of this specification, and reresent, in-

Figure 1 a ront view of a friction clutch constructed -in accordancewith my invention.' Fig. 2 a vertical sectional view ofthe same. Fig. 3an inside plan view of one of the operating levers, detached. Fig.. A4 aface view partiallybroken away'of my improved clutch with the operatinglevers removed. Fig. 5 a broken sectlonal view showing one of theoperating shoes and its connection with its operating lever. Fig. 6 abroken sectional view illustrating a modifled form of my invention.

This invention relates to an improvement in friction clutches, andarticularly to clutchesof the .strap type, that is, a clutch in which yafriction coil is'employed to bind -upon'a drum to impart revolutiontherefrom.A

Theseclutches are particularly adapted for use 1n heavy machine where itis desired to make such a gradua grip that danger of breakage isavoided, the ob]ect of the lnvenltion being a simple arrangement ofmeans for accomplishing this purpose and to provide means forinstantaneously releasing the clutch so that in case of accident, or forany other reason, machinery may be stopped; and the invention consistsyin the construction hereinafter described# and particularly recited inthe claims.

In carrying out my invention l employ a drum 2 keyed to the shaft 3which is conproximity to a hub 4 which is connected through any suitablemechanism'with the mechanism to be driven. Upon the drum and,surrounding the same,I place two spiralcoils 5 and i6.' The ends ofthese coils are attached to or made a part of the hub4. The coilspreferably grow narrow toward the outer endv and/are also tapered inthickness andl at their outerendsare connectedto opposite sides of acoil-head 8 formed with a flange 9. Mounted upon'the shaft and se- Thisdrum runs inY close cured' to the drum "2 is a circular block 10recessed at regular intervals, and herein shown at three points toreceive shoes 11.

4These shoes are pivoted to the upper ends of links 12 which are mountedupon eccentri'cs 13f projecting into the block 10 from an operating arm14 which`is pivotally mounted in fthe block 10. The upper ends of thesearms 14 are connected by links 15 with an outer or engaging ring 16,lwhile the inner -ends ofthe arms are connected by links 17 with aninner or releasing ring 18 freely mounted onrthe shaft 3 and held inplace by f *clamps 19.

Pivotally mounted in a bearing `20 or part of the machine mechanismbelow the coilhead vare two operating levers 21 and V22 which are bowedto passaround the shaft and one is longer than the other, and the outerends 23 and 24'are pivotally connected to an operating handle 25. Theselevers are formedy respectively with inwardly projecting segmentaloperating blocks 26 and 27 which-'extend between the outer ring 16 andthe inner ring 18 and in position to be pressed against either ringaccording to the direction lin which the handle is turned. When thehandle 25 is in a vertical position, as shown in Fig. l of the drawings,the operatin blocks are out of engagement with both rings, and the shaft3 is free to revolve freely and without turning the hub 4. To Vthrow thevclutch into operation, the operating handle 25 will be turned totheright which will tend to separate the operating vlevers 21 and' 22 andcause vthe segmental blocks26 and 27 to engage with the outer ring 16.Thisarrests orl retards the movement of the ring land through the links15 turn the operating arms 14 and force the shoes 1.1 into engagementwith the coil-head 8. The coil-head 8 is therefore coupled with theshaft, and as it revolves will gradually wind thefcoil and cause it togrip the drum 2 and with increasing force, so that when it hasfrictionally gripped the drum 2 it will impart revolution to the hub 4which will then continue to turn with the shaft 3.

- When it is desired to stop the rotation lof the hub 4 the operatinghandle 25 vis moved 4 to the left, which causes the cam blocks 26 and`27 to arrest the movement offthe inner o r releasing ring 18, and asthis ring is connected, through the links 17 with the arms 14, thosearms are turned in the opposite-di- Y rection'lso as to instantaneouslyrelease the Ahead 8, thus throwin the shoes 11 from engagement with thecoilthe coil-head out of connection with the s aft, and hence allowingthe coils to expand and move away from drum 2.

Theoperation of the clutch might be reversed, and instead of ,couplingthe drum to the hub, the hub might be the driven member and the drum 2coupled to the shaft by reversing the position of the shoe l1 to theinner circumference of the block 10 so as to be forced downward on theshaft as indicated in Fig. 6, the operation bein substantially the samein either case. T e reason, and advantage of employing two or more coilsand attaching them at regular intervals, or making them a part of it is,that the motion or force 'is'evenly applied so that it -will not causethe hub to cramp upon the shaft, and will not throw the adjacent ends ofthe shaft out of alinement. Iido not wish to be understood, however, aslimiting my invention as to a double coil as a single or triple coilmight be employed.

1. A friction clutch comprising a drum, a coil surrounding the said drumthe inner end of the coil connectedv with a hub, the outer end connectedto a coil-head, a block within said head, a series of shoes radiallymovable in said block, a corres onding series ofoperating levers formedwith eccentrics,

links on said eccentrics and pivotally connected with said shoes, anouter ring and an inner ring adjacent to said block, and linksconnecting the outer ends of said arms with the outer rings, and linksconnecting the inner ends* of the said arms with the inner.

rings, and means for retarding the motion of either the onter or innerring.

2. A friction clutch comprising adrum, a coil surrounding the said drumthe inner end of the coil connected with a hub, the outer 'end connectedto a coil-head, a block within said head, a series of shoes radiallymovable in said block against the inner face of said head, acorresponding series-of operating levers pivotally .mounted in saidblock and formed 'with eccentrics, links on said eccentrics andpivotally connected with.

said shoes, an outer ring andan inner ring adjacent to said block, andlinks connecting the outer ends of said arms with the'outer rings, andlinksl connecting the inner ends of thesaid arms with the inner rings,and means for retarding the motion of either the outer or inner ring.

3. A friction clutch comprising a d rum,

and links connecting the inner ends of said arms with the inner rings, apair of operating levers each formed with a segmental operating blockextending between the said outer and inner ring and adapted to be throwninto enga ement with either.

4. A frictionA c utch comprising a drum' and a hub, two coils mountedonsaid hub and having their respective ends engaged with opposite sides ofsaid hub, a coil-head secured to the outer end of said coils, a blockwithin said head, a series of shoes mounted in said block and radiallymovable therein, a corresponding series of opera-ting levers pivotallymounted in said block and each ormed with an eccentric, a link connectedwith said eccentric and with said shoes, an inner and an outer ring,links connecting the outerends of operating levers with the outer ringsand the inner ends of the operating levers with the inner rings, a pairof bowed operating levers pivotally mounted below the said head, saidlevers connected at their outer ends .with an operating handle and eachlever carrying a segmental block extending inward between the said ringsand adapted to beV thrown into engagement'with l either.

In .testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two'subscribing witnesses. A

JOHN w. ,DEARBORN Witnesses:

Fnnnnmo C. EABLE, v CLARA L. WEED.

